Freight-car door



1. L. GUERRANT. FREIGHT CAR 000R, APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 19I9.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

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J. L. GUERRANT.

FREIGHT CARDOOR, APPLICATION FlLED APR.26,19i9.

1,403,945; PatentedJan- 92 2.

WITNESS;

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

J. L. GUERRANT. FREIGHT CAR DOOR. AAAAAAAAAAA HLED APF 26,1919.

1 ,493,945, Patented Jan. 17,1922. [is Q m4 EEEEEEEEEEEE 3- v 1 CD Q 1 1 Q ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES JOHN I1. GUERRANT, OF SEDALIA, MISSOURI.

FREIGHT-CAR DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 17 1922 Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial 1T0. 292,826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. GUERRANT, a citizen of the United States, and residingat Sedalia, in the county of Pettis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Freight-Car Doors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to freight car doors, and aims to provide such a door mounted for sliding movement to and from the door opening and swingable away from the door opening, especially when the contents of the car press or lodge against the door from the inside making it difficult or impossible to slide the door open, in combination with novel and improved, yet simple and inexpensive means for retaining the lower edge portion of the door against the sill, for the purpose of resisting the outward pressure of the door, preventing the leakage of grain or similar material, and also preventing theft of sugar, and the like, such as is' frequently done by inserting a knife or other sharp implement up under the door and cutting open sacks of sugar, and similar material, permittlng same to flow downwardly.

Another object is to provide means be tween the vertical side edges of the door and the door j ambs or posts to assist in holding the doors against said posts, and to also prevent leakage of grain or other material past the side edges of the door, as well as preventing rain or snow from entering the car. 1

It is also the object of the invention to provide such improvements as above indicated'which will be inexpensive and simple in construction, and which can be readily and inexpensively installed on freight cars and their doors, so as to provide a practical,

serviceable and durable construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be apparent from the description, the invention resides in the con-.

struction and arrangement of arts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an outside view of the freight car door and adjacent portions of the side wall of the car, portions being broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof.

Figure 8 is a horizontalsection similar to Figure 4, showing modifications.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing further modifications.

The door 1 may be of wood, as usual, or any other suitable construction, and in accordance with the invention, is mounted for sliding movement at the exterior of the side wall of the car, and is also hingedly suspended, so as to swing outwardly away from said wall. Thus, a hinge plate 2 is secured to the door 1, preferably on the exterior side, at the upper edge of said door, and is hinged, as at 3, to the lower edge of a T- shaped hanger 4 of a length equal to the width of the door and having its flanges resting on rollers 5 mounted for rotation within the channels of a track 6 extending along the wall of the car above the door opening and to one side thereof. The door is thus suspended for free sliding movement, and can also swing away from the wall of the car when necessary.

A holding and protecting plate 7 for the lower edge of the door 1 is hinged, as at 8, to a hinge plate or leaf 9 secured to the sill 20 of the car below the door opening. permitting said plate 7 to be swung upwardly and downwardly upon a longitudinal axis below the door 1. A Z-shaped strip 10 is secured to the lower edge of the door 1 over the outer corner thereof, and is provided with the depending flange 11 at the inner side of the door, or flush with. said inner side, and the plate 7 is swingable upwardly in front of the flange 11 below the strip 10 and, below the lower edge of the door against the sill 20. Said plate 7 and strip 10 extend the width of the door 1, thereby preventing any leakage or escape of grain or other material from within the car, and also preventing the insertion of a knife or other implement under and behind the door,

for purpose of theftby tapping the contents of the car. The plate 7 is provided witha portion 12 extending at right angles therefrom to move snugly under the strip 10 and lower edge of the door 1 when said plate is swung upwardly in front of the flange 11, and said portion 12 has a flange 13 extending at an angle therefrom to swing in front of and overlap the strip lOand lower edge portion of the door at the outside thereof. Thus, when the plate 7 is swung upwardly, it moves in; front of the flange 11, and also moves snugly under and outside of the lower edge of the door 1 and its strip 10, so as to afford the desired protection.

In order to retain'the parts in closed position, the flange 13 is provided with one or 7 more tongues 14 projecting from its edge to bear against the exterior of the door 1 when the plate 7 is swung upwardly, and said tongue is slotted to swing over a staple or keeper 15 projecting from the door, and a hook 16 can be pivoted to the door to engage through the keeper 15 when the tongue 14 is moved into place, said hook having an eye 17 movable adjacent to the keeper 15 so that the hook can be held closed by a suitable seal 18, thus preventing the plate 7 from being released without breaking the seal. V

With the present arrangement, the door is grain tight, preventing the leakage of grain or other material, as well as thwarting theft,

and the construction has the advantage of permitting the door 1 to swing outwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure '2, should the boxes, .bags, or other contents of the car bear outwardly against the door. Ordinarily, when this occurs, the door must be forced open by crow bars and other implements,.which not infrequently result in the damaging of the door for car body, whereas with the present arrangement, the door can swing open outwardly to relieve the pressure and remove the merchandise obstructing the door, and to also permit the door to then he slid to one side of the open ing easily and conveniently.

As seen in Figure 2, whenthe plate 7 swings downwardly, the portion 12 and flange 13 thereof move under the sill 20, out

/ of the way, so that said plate will not interfere with the unloading or loading of the car, and will not be apt to be damaged or broken. A hook 19 suspended from the sill 20 or other suitable means, can be employed for holding the plate 7 in place whenlswung downwardly.

The usual vertical stop 21 is secured to the doorpo'st 22 for one, side edgeof the door 1 to strike against when the door is slid to closed position, and in order to prevent leakage of grain past the vertical edges of the door, and to also prevent rain or snow entermg, interengaging strips are carried by set, as at24. A vertical strip 25 is' secured to the corresponding vertical edge of the door and is provided at its inner edge with a flange 26 to enterthe offset portion or rab- 'b'et 24 of the strip 23, as seen in Figure 4, thus providing a grain tight and weather proof joint. A vertical strip. 27 is secured to the other vertical edgeof the door 1 and V is provided at its inner orrear edge with a flange or lip 28, and a vertical strip 29 is secured to the other door post 31 and has an outwardly offset portion 30 which the flange 28 enters to provide a tight joint. Thus,

when the door 1 is slid to closed position,

the flc nges26 and 28of the strips 25 and127,

respectively, enter the offset portions 24 and 30 of the .respectivestrips carried by the door 7 jambs, thereby preventing leakage, and also j assisting in holding the door against the posts22 and 31. I In opening the door,after the plate 7, is swung downwardly, thedoor l is slid edgewise slightly, to remove the fianges26 and 28 from the portions 24 and to swing outwardly.

Guide members 32 are secured to the wall of the car for the flange 11 to move behind 30, respectively, which will permit said door so as to hold the door against the'car when open. 7

Figure 5 showsthe strip 10 as not being used with the plate 7 conforming to the squarelower edge of the door. r r

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate how the hinge plate 2 is provided with upwardly extending portions 33 passing behind the hinge butts of the hanger 4, thereby preventing the hinge from moving outwardly at the joint, because the portions 33 in bearing against the inner side of the hanger4 will prevent such displacement. V

F lgure 8 illustrates some variations as over the, arrangement shown in Figure 4..

Thus, a strip or plate 23 is secured to two sides of the stop 21 and has the offset por tion 24 at the corner thereof for receiving the flange 26, and a plate 29issecured to the post 31 and has oneedge bent back, as at 30' to receive the flange 28, said portion 30 abutting a cleat 34 secured to the post 31.

Figure 9 illustrates the plate 7 hinged at its lower edge, as at 8, to a forwardly or outwardly extending flange S of a strip or plate 9{ secured to the sill 20 underneaththe door opening, said flange9 extending under the lower edge of the door 1 so that the flat plate 7 can swing upwardly against the outer side of the door and. downwardly out ofthe way; I I I Having thus describedthe invent-ion,what

is claimed as new isz- I V v 1. The comblnation of' a car wall having an opening, a door to close said opening, means for suspending said door for sliding movement and for swinging movement away from said opening, a flange depending from the lower edge of the door at the inner side thereof, a plate hingedly connected to said wall below said opening and below said flange to swing upwardly in front of said flange, and having an offset portion to fit under and in front of the lower edge of the door, and means for holding said plate against the door.

2. The combination of a car wall having an opening, a door to close said opening, means for suspending said door for sliding IllOVQIIlQlltand for swinging movement away from said opening, a strip secured to said wall below said opening, a plate hinged to said strip and having an offset portion to fit under and in front of the lower edge of the door and to swing under said wall, and means for holding said plate against the door.

8. The combination with a car having an opening, a track extending over said opening, a hanger depending from within the track and extending the width of the door, a plate secured to the upper edge portion of the door and extending the width of the door and arranged to shed rain over the upper edge of the door to the outer side thereof, said plate being hinged to said hanger, said hanger and plate excluding rain and wind from passage between the upper edge of the door and track, and means for holding the door against said wall over said opening.

4. The combination with a car wall having an opening, a door to close said'opening, means for suspending the door for sliding movement along the wall and for swinging IIIOVQIDGIli) away from said opening, a strip secured to said wall under said opening, a plate hinged to said strip and of angular section so as to swing upwardly under and overlap the outer side of the door and hold it against the wall, said plate and strip extending the width of the door to prevent leakage, and means for holding said plate against the door.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

JOHN L. GUERRANT. 

